One Piece & ZoLu Song Inspired Drabbles
by aechfic
Summary: Collection of very short drabbles derived from my "fic playlist" that I listen to while writing One Piece junk... lots of ZoLu/LuZo; spoilers up to and including current events; may contain references/spoilers to Coming Home and Crossfire; rated T to M.
1. Pick U Up

Author's note: I suppose you could call this an experiment in determining just what I can squeeze into a one-sentence drabble. If you've read any of my other fics, you'll surely have noticed that I love playing with language and positively adore compound sentences, so it's more likely that these will resemble one-paragraph drabbles...

I frequently listen to music while drafting fic, and these songs often directly influence my writing- which can often be a bit annoying, because I tend to hear a lot of these particular songs over the sound system at work as well as via my iPod while I'm driving, and there's nothing worse than getting hit with plot and dialogue ideas while you're unable to grab a scrap of notebook paper and jot them down. It's also awkward explaining to your confused family and co-workers just why you get distracted or even slightly teary-eyed at certain songs that you've associated with, ah, certain angsty darkfics. At least my beta/husband knows which songs I relate to Crossfire, so he doesn't think I'm crazy when I start looking uncomfortable.

That said, these drabbles may include spoilers for my own fic series. I will attempt to denote them as such in the chapter selection pull-down so you can avoid them if desired, as those relating to Crossfire will likely contain references to mpreg and some rather dark material.

Titles and lyrics are, of course, the property of their respective creators.

xxx

Adam Lambert: Pick U Up

"We're gonna see where we can go/ This is how I live, this is what I give/ And you're the one I want to know..."

xxx

Luffy takes one look at the filthy, blood-stained and empty-handed swordsman tied to the splintered pole jutting from the center of the courtyard, and despite the Pirate Hunter's glowering stare and Coby's terrified protests, the self-proclaimed captain can barely contain his excitement because he's already determined that whatever happens here, Roronoa Zoro is coming with him when he leaves.


	2. When I'm Gone

The Click Five: When I'm Gone

"When I'm gone/ And the lights are out/ Don't be sad for long..."

xxx

As he raises both arms to embrace the massive paw-shaped bubble of pain looming before him, Zoro's last conscious thought focuses not on his unfulfilled quest and broken promise to Kuina but rather on his captain's smiling face, and his one regret is that - in offering his own life in exchange for that of the man who will be the Pirate King - he'll never again see Luffy turn that brilliantly beaming countenance in his direction.


	3. Don't Stop Now

The Maine: Don't Stop Now

"So you can rough me up/ Yeah, baby, you can hurt me too/ Because all I've got (all I've got)/ You see all I've got is you..."

xxx

_Forget Hawk-eyes, 'cause my own goddamn Sencho's gonna be the death of me_, Zoro muses dizzily as he struggles to untangle himself from the rubbery limbs wrapped haphazardly around his torso, but - despite the way his head's aching miserably thanks to Luffy unexpectedly tackling him face-first into the deck - he can't help snorting laughter at the younger pirate's enormous grin, and when his captain reaches up and hauls him down for a kiss, the swordsman knows he's where he belongs.


	4. Home

Goo Goo Dolls: Home

"It's 3am and I can't sleep without you/ I think I found the perfect words to say..."

xxx

Although the bed's only a few feet away, soft and inviting, Zoro slouches against the stone wall at his back, ignoring the cold hard floor beneath his buttocks and the unrelenting ache in the socket beneath the gauze bandage wrapped securely around his head as he stares into the darkness with his remaining eye, silently recounting every single time he's said those three small words to his captain and hoping like hell that he'll get the chance to say them again.

xxx

"The satellite transmits my voice/ Sometimes we don't have a choice/ Wake you up from half a world away..."

xxx

When Luffy bolts upright where he's sprawled between the massive front paws of the enormous lion curled around him, heart stumbling and staggering inside his chest and hand outstretched as he reaches up to trace the disquieting new scar on the familiar face that's even now fading along with his troubled dreams, he doesn't realize that he's been crying in his sleep until he lets his forearm flop limply across his face and discovers - somewhat to his bewilderment - that his cheeks are wet with tears.


	5. Your Love Is A Song: Crossfire

Warning(s): Mpreg fluff

Author's Note: Drabble references events in chapter 3 of Crossfire. Dedicated to RobotInTheRoom, who challenged me to go for 100- I do believe I exceeded your expectations? XD

xxx

Switchfoot: Your Love Is A Song

"I hear you breathing in/ Another day begins/ The stars are falling out/ My dreams are fading now, fading out..."

xxx

The captain's pleased to discover that it takes a lot less effort convincing Nami to let Zoro - and himself, of course - spend most nights in the women's quarters after the navigator accidentally walks in on him talking to the baby, and although the bed's definitely a novelty compared to the bunk hammocks, storage room floor, look out tower benches and any other horizontal surface they've been using, what Luffy likes even better than the sex is the early morning hours when Zoro's still sound asleep and the only sounds are his slow breathing and the younger pirate's own quiet humming as he leans his cheek against the swordsman's belly.


	6. Cat And Mouse

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus: Cat And Mouse

"Am I supposed to be happy?/ With all I ever wanted, it comes with a price/ You said, you said that you would die for me/ You must live for me too..."

xxx

When the revelation of his attempted self-sacrifice eventually slips out, purely by accident and much to the swordsman's chagrin because he's fully intended to take it to his grave, Zoro raises his chin and steels himself to withstand his captain's anger, but he's completely unprepared for the veritable onslaught as Luffy tries to scold and hug and hit and kiss him all at once, demanding to know just what the hell he was thinking- because there's no sense in being the Pirate King without the World's Greatest Swordsman by his side.


	7. I Think We're Alone Now

The Click Five: I Think We're Alone Now

"...and so we're/ Runnin' just as fast as we can/ Holdin' on to one another's hand/ Tryin' to get away into the night/ And then you put your arms around me/ And we tumble to the ground/ And then you say-"

xxx

Zoro manages to keep a straight face as he denies Sanji's accusation that a certain pair of shitty perverts stole one of the ingredients intended for the girls' dessert, but Luffy ruins their chances of escaping unharmed when he climbs his swordsman like a monkey to suck a whipped cream smear off his earlobe, and they're forced to flee under a barrage of flying pots and pans as the enraged cook shrieks about the desecration of his sacred kitchen, laughing hysterically as they race past their other bewildered crewmates to the privacy of the storage hold, where the older pirate pins the younger to the floor with a sharp-toothed grin and says, "I think we're alone now..."


	8. Rabbit Heart

First posting in 2012, I believe? Anyway, personal circumstances (i.e. impending arrival of baby and subsequent desire to exist as a lump on the couch) have vastly reduced my fic output, but I'd like to remedy that, so I offered a little challenge to my followers on Tumblr: prompt me with a song title and artist (plus pairing and/or fic universe if desired), whereupon I'll write a drabble based on the lyrics. Entries with no pairing or universe specifications might result in anything from nakama-ship to ZoLu to normal Oda-verse to Crossfire-based responses.

FF readers are welcome to do the same; I'm enjoying getting back into the swing of things as well as discovering there's a lot of awesome music out there that I've never heard before. If you want to submit a prompt, you can message my ask box on Tumblr (no account needed, and I post a lot of bizarre stuff there, so you might be interested in checking it out anyway) or PM me here. My Tumblr account is the same name I use here, or you can just follow the link on my profile.

xxx

Florence & The Machine: Rabbit Heart (requested by wingless-tori)

"You made a deal and/ Now it seems you have to offer up/ But will it ever be enough?"

xxx

The cobblestones are solid beneath her feet as she shoulders her pack, noiselessly swallowing down the lump rising in her throat as she gazes up at the building towering above and finding herself unable to look away from the small window near the summit despite the glaring golden beams raining down, yet the courtyard feels slippery as glass under her heels, forcing her to tread with care.

Another raid, another betrayal, another treasure parted with difficulty from its ham-fisted owner, and the gold and jewels and blood-stained notes thumping against her back feel so heavy, and she's tempted for a moment to just lie down and bask in the sunlight until the weariness leaves her legs and the small of her back and-

His laughter hisses through her skull then, raising goosebumps on her flesh, and it's all she can do to stiffen her spine, disguise the sudden rapid pounding of her heart and force the muscles of her face to relax into an expression of nonchalance and boredom.

"I'm back."


	9. Fire: PreCrossfire

Kasabian: Fire (requested by chakolit-chip)

"Look behind you, there's a falling sky/ I'm on fire, I'm on fire..."

xxx

Standing on the battlefield with his younger brother protecting his back, both of them moving in uncanny unison to defend each other against their opponents despite having never before engaged in a fight of such furious magnitude, Portgas D. Ace has no idea that he's mere minutes from the death that will shake his foster-sibling's world to its very foundations.

Although conscious of Luffy's love and admiration and respect for him - how could he believe anything else, considering the younger man's recent actions, risking himself in a such an absolutely insane all-out assault on marines and Shichibukai twice or more his age with far more experience - he also has no idea that his continued existence and approaching doom is capable of such a profound effect on the upcoming pirate captain's life that in less than three years time, he will storm Impel Down yet again in a determined effort to save Ace's unborn namesake and the swordsman who's become far more to him than a mere first mate.

When the chaos finally pits them against the admiral who coldly insults the great man Firefist considered his father and raises an enormous molten fist against the person who's nearest and dearest to his heart, there's no time for hesitation, no time for second thoughts, no time for regrets or to heed the multitude voices screaming at him to abandon a confrontation he has little hope of winning.

His own flames never burned him, but, as it doesn't take him long to discover, there's more than one kind of fire.

It doesn't matter, he muses briefly as he stares down at the horrified comprehension dawning on his little brother's soot and blood-smeared face, the realization widening his eyes and ripping a strangled noise of disbelief from his throat. Some things are worth fighting for, some things are worth bleeding for-

And some things are worth dying for.


	10. Safe And Sound: Crossfire

I have some downright evil followers on Tumblr...

xxx

Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars (The Hunger Games soundtrack): Safe And Sound  
Crossfire Universe (requested by offbeatsierra)

"Just close your eyes/ The sun is going down/ You'll be alright/ No one can hurt you now/ Come morning light/ You and I'll be safe and sound."

xxx

Every muscle screams in protest when he makes another helpless attempt to rise from where he's leaning against the overturned table, and he clenches his teeth, ignoring the salty tang of blood in his mouth and the faint wheeze of protest that escapes unbidden when his ill-advised movements send pain scissoring through his hips and belly and lower spine. He supposes he's lucky he didn t break his damn back when he hit the floor.

The room's a maelstrom of sound and flashing lights, the faint groans of wounded and dying marines drifting from smoking, sparking equipment, alarms both near and far wailing endlessly, and Zoro's pretty sure he can hear boots pounding up and down the hallway outside. He turns his head to the side and coughs forcefully, expectorating crimson onto the stone floor beside him and hoping like hell that the next face to burst through the door is a friendly one, because while he can still feel Ashura simmering beneath the surface in anticipation, he also feels as though he's been broken in two- or maybe run through a freaking meat grinder. Everything hurts.

Internal pressure shifts under the injured - _maimed_, he thinks, then shoves the thought aside - hand splayed against his abdomen, prompting a rush of relief. Regardless of his own battered state, it seems like the kid's okay, and the swordsman - if he can still consider himself such, but _no, don't think about that right now_ - finds himself quietly mumbling reassurances that he can't hear over the surrounding ruckus, sincere promises that the nightmare's over and they're going home.

He should get his ass off the floor, arm himself and get out of here and go meet his- their crew as they storm the front gates. He can almost hear Luffy demanding to know where the hell they've been and the shitty cook making some sharp-tongued comment about his badly-fitting new attire-

-but he's so fucking tired.

_I'll get up in a minute or two_, he tells himself, resting his head back against the table and only dimly aware that his vision's blurring to black and his hand's slipped from his lap to lay palm-up within the bloodied folds of the lab coat. _Just a minute or_-


	11. The Tower

Nobody actually requested this one, but it's been in my head for quite some time now...

xxx

Vienna Teng: The Tower

"I need not to need, or else a love with intuition/ Someone who reaches out to my weakness and won't let go/ I need not to need, I've always been the tower/ But now I feel like I'm a flower trying to bloom in snow..."

xxx

Standing stiff-legged on the balcony with her hands cuffed securely behind her and striving desperately to contain the moisture beading in the corners of her eyes, Robin berates mercilessly herself for daring to hope even as the line of figures below demand her return.

Despite the vast gap between them, intensified by the buildings differences in height, the determination on their faces is clear. For some reason she can't entirely comprehend, they want her back; they've come all this way - across the sea, through Enies Lobby - and they're all here. The captain and his swordsman, the navigator, the cook, the doctor. All of them, even the long-nose sniper that the blue-haired man beside her insists abandoned the crew.

She's spent so many years on the run, disdained and persecuted, that she can't wrap her agile mind around the idea that someone wants her. Her life is a path of ruin, littered with betrayal and desperation and self-loathing, stretching so far back into the past that she wholeheartedly believes what Spandam repeatedly insists.

She doesn't deserve to live.

She wants to die.

Better her own death than the senseless murder of these people of whom she's unexpectedly grown so fond. They've tolerated her little eccentricities, extended kindness for which she did not ask and slowly, subtly worked their way into her heart. Her, the ice queen, who's hardened that heart against all comers. The heart that even now is pounding furiously within her breast, struggling to unfurl like a rosebud even as she rebukes her erstwhile companions.

The historian's not expecting the order that sets the wavering flag overhead ablaze, although later - much later - she chides herself for being surprised. She's seen how Luffy operates; she somehow underestimated him, expected him to back down under the pressure of the World Government.

She'll never underestimate him again.

"Say that you want to live!"

The expressions on their faces- she never thought it was allowed her, never dreamed that someone might actually want her to live, to share their life with her, to share their hopes and dreams, to share her own and-

Saul's face, transposed over each of theirs, promising that surely someday-

Maybe-

"Robin, say that you want to live!"

Her mother's-

And then the tears start to flow, washing clean trails through the dust and grime on her cheeks, and she raises her head, sobbing, and tells them what she wants.


	12. Somebody Told Me

I'm not entirely sure what this is... other than pure insanity. This was the most bizarre song that's been submitted so far, and it took me a while to figure out what the hell I was going to write that made any kind of sense. Of course, whether this actually does make any sense - or is even in-character - is up in the air somewhere. At least it made my husband laugh when he read it?

xxx

The Killers: Somebody Told Me (requested by ichigootaku)

"Somebody told me/ You had a boyfriend/ Who looked like a girlfriend/ That I had in February of last year…"

xxx

Breakfast is an awkward affair, with tension running high as various parties do their damnedest to avoid eye contact despite being seated in tight quarters at the same table and helping themselves from the same platters. Even Luffy's picking at the contents of his plate in silence, hesitant to devour the food before him with his usual reckless abandon, lest it start something that someone else will be inclined to finish.

Nami opens her mouth, closes it, gestures helplessly towards the butter. When Sanji leaves his chair to retrieve the dish from the opposite end of the table with stilted grace, she accepts it with a wan and rather lopsided smile. No one wants to be the first to speak.

The peace lasts until Zoro, stabbing at the eggs on his plate with a vehemence normally reserved for opponents on the battlefield, abruptly sends a sunny squirt of yolk flying through the air to spatter the sleeve of the dark-haired woman seated beside him.

"Aww, crap. Sorry, Robin."

"That's quite alri-"

"Shitty bastard; watch what the hell you're doing!"

"Oh, no," Chopper moans, sliding down until only his antlers and hat are visible, as the green-haired swordsman rises with a snarl of contempt, fingers tightening on and bending the fork still clutched in his fist.

"Fuck off, dartboard face! I fucking told her I was fucking sorry- you fucking heard-!"

A faint scraping sound, and all eyes are suddenly on Usopp, who s edging his chair away from the table with clear intentions of bolting out the door.

"Oh, no, you don't," Nami hisses, catching the sniper's arm before he can make a run for it. "This is partly your fault, anyway."

"B-But-"

"Sit the hell back down!"

"O-Okay..." He sinks back into his chair and does his best to imitate Chopper's slow descent beneath the table, but it's too late; there's two sets of angry eyes locked on him. Well, one and half sets- the cook's blond bangs are cloaking one narrowed blue orb.

They may be looking at him, but they're still yelling at each other.

"-the fuck's wrong with you, stealing other people s-"

"I didn t see your goddamn name on him!"

"O-Oi-" Usopp protests, flushing.

"SHUT UP!" Two voices roar in unison, drowning out Nami's sigh of exasperation, before the combatants turn on each other once again, utensils and heels now raised threateningly.

"-just because you can't talk Robin into the sack," the swordsman sneers, tilting his head towards the historian still seated and sipping her coffee as she watches the squabble with interest. "What the hell are you gonna do- ask him to straighten his hair so you can pretend you're fucking HER?"

Franky chokes on his cola.

"You- you-!" Sanji sputters furiously, cheeks blazing. Missing the raised eyebrow and speculative gaze of the woman in question. "AT LEAST I DIDN T ASK HIM TO ACTUALLY PRETEND TO BE SOMEBODY-"

"I ONLY DID IT ONCE!" Zoro screams back, apparently too flustered to realize what he's admitting.

Usopp's doing his best to force his face through the tabletop, arms crossed protectively over his head, avoiding the disturbed look that Nami's aiming in his direction.

"What in the world-?"

"Usually it's just Captain Usopp, and that's okay, I don't mind- sometimes he's the Pirate Hunter and the roleplay thing's kinda fun," her crewmate moans into the napkins. "-but the other night, he called me-"

"DON'T YOU DA-"

"-Sencho." The cook finishes smugly, and the fork in Zoro's hand breaks in two with an audible snap.

Seven heads turn as one to peer cautiously at Luffy, who stares back, chewing soundlessly on a strip of bacon.

The captain swallows, contemplates his undeclared first mate, perplexed. "Me? I thought Zoro just liked Usopp and Robin?"

"He WHAT?" Sanji demands, uttering an incredulous snort when the green-haired pirate folds his arms across his chest and sets his jaw. "Sure, whatever, tell me another-"

"Interesting," the new subject of their dispute remarks, a sly smile crossing her lips as she regards her younger crewmates thoughtfully. "Kenshi-san certainly didn't refer to me by any other name..."

Dead silence, and then there's a sharp crack as Franky slams his cola bottle down on the table and more than one person nearly jumps out of their skin. The shipwright explodes out of his seat, pointer finger of one gigantic fist wavering threateningly in Zoro's face. "That's not cool, Haramaki-bro! That's really-"

"Oh. Didn't know you were interested t-"

"Hold on a minute," Nami interrupts, a note of derision rising in her voice to mask the unexpected jealousy that's stirring at Robin's unexpected- monopoly?- of the mostly male crew. "What the hell's wrong with- you guys are so-"

"What?" Luffy asks. "Usopp likes Zoro and Sanji and you. Sanji likes you. I like you too."

"As do I." Robin states calmly and takes another sip from her mug.

"But- but- there s a big difference between like and-"

"Sex?" The older woman supplies helpfully. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe our captain is referring to the latter, as I was myself."

"Yeah, I meant sex," the captain informs them distractedly; he's too busy studying Zoro with interest to pay much attention to the distressed expression growing on Nami's face.

"But we can't just-"

"Says who?" Luffy asks, not-so-subtly scooting closer to his swordsman, who appears both alarmed and relieved at the prospect. "We're pirates. If Franky likes Robin, and Zoro likes me and Usopp and Robin, and Sanji likes Usopp and Robin and you, and Usopp likes Zoro and Sanji and you- oh, and me too- and-"

"Wha-" Usopp yelps, nearly falling out of his chair. "HOW DID-?"

"I think Robin likes pretty much everybody, and- oi, who does Chopper like?"

There's an awkward pause as everyone glances around, but the reindeer's now completely out of sight, only a timid squeak emerging from beneath his chair. "I-I think I like you all as friends. I mean, I'm sure you're all exceptionally attractive, but-"

"No fur," Franky muses, rubbing his chin. "Yeah, I guess that'd be kind of weird."


	13. Change Of Time

Short but hopefully sweet? Post-time skip but not associated with any verse in particular. Loving the hell out this song.

xxx

Josh Ritter: Change Of Time (requested by robotintheroom)

"I had a dream last night/ And when I opened my eyes/ Your shoulder blade, your spine/ Were shorelines in the moonlight/ New world for the weary/ New lands for the living/ I could make it if I tried/ I closed my eyes, I kept on swimming…"

xxx

Sometimes, on the rare occasions when he wakes before his captain while the room's still mostly dark and before their crewmates have begun the mad rush for the bathhouse and bathrooms, he finds himself sleepily contemplating the events of the past few years. How everything started, how they got from point A to point B. How the goofy, scrawny kid who untied him from a wooden crossbeam not only kept his promise but unerringly merged their goals and evolved over time from a hapless, erratic annoyance to one of the most unquestioningly important people in his life.

_Such a bunch of maudlin crap_, he thinks- and grins.

The man is a goddamn whirlwind- a typhoon sweeping his companions and their ship into uncertain waters. Zoro's not particularly worried. Uneven odds, precarious encounters, certain death. They've faced it all before, and they're still sailing- all nine of them.

It is somewhat disconcerting, the swordsman supposes, being drawn to someone like a moth to a flame. It rings eerily of fate and predestination, something that he simultaneously dismisses and regards with almost superstitious interest. A contradiction, yes, but difficult to ignore completely given Luffy's ability to turn up in the right place at the right time without any apparent forethought. He's just sort of... there when needed, and the older pirate's seen it happen so many times that he's ceased to be surprised when it happens yet again and almost inevitably adds another crewmember to their number.

_And he's the glue that holds us together, keeps us from drowning or being eaten alive by the goddamn leviathans_, he concludes as he stiffles a yawn and drags Sencho a little closer with the arm looped snugly around his waist, leaning his cheek against his lover's bare shoulder blade and closing his eyes.

_Screw the poetic bullshit- I'm going back to sleep_.


	14. Blah Blah Blah

Doing the song-based prompt gig again. This was supposed to be a joke request, but I went ahead and wrote something for it anyway...

xxx

Ke$ha: Blah Blah Blah (requested by rozopun via skype)

"Stop, talk, talk, talking that blah, blah, blah/ Think you'll be getting this? Nah, nah, nah/ Not in the back of my car, ah, ah/ If you keep talking that blah, blah, blah, blah, blah..."

xxx

"Nami-swan, Robin-chwan~?"

"Nami-swaaan~! Robin-chwaaan~!"

"Yes, Sanji-kun?"

"Ah, my beau-ti-ful ladies, if you would be so kind as to feast your gorgeous eyes upon this delectable arrangement of desserts that I've prepared solely for you, employing all of my culinary skills to their fullest- although these delicate ribbons of icing absolutely pale in comparison to the lovely locks that adorn-!"

"How in the world does he go on like that without breathing?" The navigator murmurs to the historian as they watch their overly-excited nakama noodling about with a tray balanced expertly on one hand and crimson hearts bubbling up and popping around his head and shoulders.

"He does seem to defy all logic in regards to basic biology."

"-grace your tongues with my-!"

"Robin, sometimes I honestly wonder what he'd do if one of us just grabbed him by the tie and dragged him down to the storage room. But-"

"-LAAADIIIEEES~!"

"-imagine having to listen to him going on and on about your "splendid, majestic breasts" and "oh so succulent pink rosebud of ecstacy" when all you really want him to do is shut the hell up and just give you a really good fucking?"

"Oh my, that would be rather frustrating, wouldn't it. Perhaps a roll of duct tape-?"

"Hahaha-"

"Or a well-made ball-gag..."

"ROBIN-"


	15. What Are You Going To Do With Me

Oops, I SanUso'd. Or in this case, I guess it's more like UsoSan. Whether it ends up being one-sided or not, I'll let the reader decide.

xxx

Paper Moon: What Are You Going To Do With Me (requested by ichigootaku on tumblr)

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you/ For at least over a month and a half now/ But I have to say I'm a little bit shy (just a little bit shy) / There's something I've been wanting to question/ But I'm mostly too scared to mention..."

xxx

Sitting at the dining table with an array of springs and bolts and other unidentifiable gadgetry spread before him, Usopp fights to keep his eyes on his work and off the cook who's bustling happily about the kitchen, humming to himself as he peers judgmentally into the cluster of pots sitting on the stove.

_Sanji always looks so happy when he's making food for everybody, even though he complains all __the time about feeding Luffy's big mouth_.

The sniper bites back a sigh- and chokes, accidentally jabbing himself in the thumb with a screw, because his nakama's just stooped to check the oven, resulting in his well-tailored suit pants being pulled snug across his rear.

_Oh my god_. Flustered, he quickly averts his eyes. _Knock it off, you dummy; if he catches you __staring, he's gonna kick your ass or give your dinner to Luffy or worse, he might just stop __talking to you_.

He's not entirely sure when his admiration and respect for his fellow Straw Hat pirate starting turning into something more or when Kaya's delicate face started getting fuzzy in his memories, replaced by a blond with much shorter hair and an ever-present cigarette dangling from one corner of his mouth.

_His. HIS. I don't understand- I thought I liked GIRLS_.

Sanji is everything Kaya is not. Male, quick-tempered, loud-mouthed, prone to violence.

_And he definitely likes girls_, Usopp thinks mournfully, unaware that his eyes have been drawn back to where the cook's now dicing leeks with quick efficiency. _I'd say that's pretty damn __obvious, considering how he tripped all over himself when he saw Nami and Robin again for the __first time after the crew got back together_.

It's just his luck, falling for another person who's completely beyond his reach. Only this time it's not his lack of wealth and social standing that's barring him, but his-

"-sopp. Oi, Usopp."

Startled from his morose reverie, the sniper's horrified to realize that the unlikely object of his affection's standing before him, one hand cupped beneath the spoon that's being proffered a few inches from the tip of his nose.

"You in there, or you falling asleep on me? Do me a favor and try this."

"I-"

"Usopp, what the hell's going on? You've been sitting here staring into space for the last hour." The cook's now frowning, the portion of brow visible beneath his bangs furrowing slightly in concern. "There something wrong?"

_I am a brave warrior of the sea_.

"S-Sanji, there's- uh- something I need to ask you. Do you think you'd ever-"


End file.
